Donor Profile

David J. Vitale

In 1997, David Vitale joined the Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Trustees and also became a member of the then Institute of Psychology's Board of Overseers. In 1998 he created the David J. Vitale Scholarship with a philanthropic donation to the Institute of Psychology. The Vitale Scholarship is a four-year award reserved for undergraduate psychology students. The first of its kind at the Institute of Psychology, this important scholarship has funded dozens of Vitale Psychology Scholars.

"Education made a difference for me in my life and career - I want to make a difference for energetic, talented students at IIT," said Mr. Vitale.

Undergrads from as far as California and Bulgaria have been Vitale scholars, helping maintain the Department's diversity and record for attracting top students from around the country and globe. Vitale Scholars are eligible for more than just the Vitale scholarship, making college affordable to anyone.

In 2010, Vitale expanded his support by creating an endowment for undergraduate psychology scholarships. With endowed scholarships, the original pool of funds is preserved, and only the interest each year is spent on the scholarship. Expendable and endowed scholarships are equally important to an academic college, giving it the ability to cover costs that tuition simply cannot. Tuition does not cover half of the total cost of educating an undergrad in the field of psychology, donations such as Mr. Vitale's are needed to cover the rest of the costs in education.

Questions regarding how to establish a scholarship at IIT's Lewis College of Human Sciences? Please contact Olivia Anderson, Senior Director of Development, andersono@iit.edu or 312.567.6750.